The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager
Genre: Fantasy
Suggested Age: Teens and Adults
What is This Book About? As a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, Linus investigates orphanages for magical children to determine if they’re well taken care of, and he is good at his job. Perfectly by-the-book. After all, it would be against the rules to get attached to the children. His life is quiet but lonely.
His routine is disrupted when Extremely Upper Management decides that Linus is the perfect caseworker for a month-long investigation of the highly classified Marsyas Orphanage, where six very dangerous children reside. The children, including a gnome, were-Pomeranian, and a six-year-old Antichrist, are nothing like Linus expected, and the thoughtful, secretive caretaker Arthur Parnassus is just as much of a surprise as his wards. Linus’ understanding of the world and his role in it is quickly challenged in brilliant ways by the surprising people on Marsyas Island.
My Review: This cozy book about the family you create for yourself will uplift your spirits and leave you filled with hope. The themes of acceptance and understanding will resonate with a great many people. Linus gradually growing closer to all of the children is perfectly paired with his sweet love story with Arthur. While Klune doesn’t shy away from topics of racism and child welfare, hearing about it from the perspective of the children keeps the tone light and humorous. Readers will look forward to cuddling into the couch to fall in love with shy Sal, hilariously over-dramatic Lucy, aspirational bellhop Chauncey, and the rest of the family during their trip to Marsyas Island with all the magic it possesses.
Three Words that Describe this Book: comforting, genuine, side-splitting
Give This A Try if You Like… Pushing Daisies (TV), Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way, The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill, Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones
Rating: 5/5, but only because we can’t go higher
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
